Chapter 191: Chunmei

Chapter 191

Chunmei

Upon returning to Huangjing City, Kang Wang publicly announced his royal marriage to his secondary consort, Nie Ying, with the wedding ceremony scheduled to take place in the capital next year. Officials and nobles alike expressed their congratulations, all surprised by the fortunes of the Nie family women. Though merely the daughters of merchants, they married into high-ranking families like General Song and Kang Wang. Especially surprising was that even Kang Wang’s mother, Xian Fei, did not oppose the marriage. It led many to believe that the Nie family, besides being extraordinarily wealthy, must possess significant behind-the-scenes influence as well.

Wealthy merchants in the city flocked to Xiangyun Tea House, bringing gifts to congratulate. Everyone wanted to curry favor with the Nie family. In the past, Nie Ying would occasionally appear at the tea house, but since becoming a secondary consort, she no longer made public appearances. Wang Dongpo had to step in to greet guests and keep track of who brought gifts. Later, he would deliver the account book and gifts to Nie Ying.

The reputation of Xiangyun Tea House continued to spread. What once started as a tea house run by an unknown Lady Boss had now become famous throughout the land. Whenever anyone mentioned Xiangyun Tea House or the Lady Boss, the bosses would boast about how they had been invited to the opening day or product launch events. Some claimed that they were familiar with and had business dealings with the Lady Boss. Even though there were no new product launches, and the Lady Boss was no longer in Huangjing City, the wealthy merchants and their families still frequented the tea house. Visitors from other cities always made a point to witness the famous tea ceremonies and purchase high-quality tea with the golden label sourced from Mount Dushan.

As Wang Dongpo stepped down from his carriage and had the large stack of gifts unloaded, the staff at Kang Wang’s palace recognized him and came out to greet him.

"Her Highness is expecting you, Manager Wang. Please, this way."

Wang Dongpo followed them inside. Nie Ying was waiting for him in a reception room by the garden, chatting happily with Chunmei. It was well known that Kang Wang adored his consort. Nie Ying held sole authority over matters within the palace, and although her status allowed her to have many servants at her disposal, she preferred a small entourage and was often accompanied only by Chunmei.

"I pay my respects to Her Highness,"

Wang Dongpo greeted her formally. Having previously served as a eunuch in the palace, he was familiar with royal etiquette. Nie Ying, however, laughed and spoke to him warmly.

"Manager Wang, relax. There’s no need for such formality with me."

Wang Dongpo shook his head and replied,

"You are Kang Wang’s consort, and respecting you is the same as respecting Kang Wang, Your Highness."

Seeing that he insisted on maintaining formalities, Nie Ying didn’t press the matter further and asked,

"I’ve been away in the capital for quite some time. Has there been any trouble here?"

Wang Dongpo handed her the account book, which Chunmei quickly took and passed to her mistress, smiling at him warmly.

"I’ll review the accounts for now. You two haven’t seen each other for a while, so feel free to catch up outside. When I’m done, I’ll call you back in."

Nie Ying spoke gently. She was close to Chunmei like a sister and knew that, after following her to the capital and not seeing her brother for over a month, Chunmei must have missed him dearly. Hearing this, Chunmei thanked her and led Wang Dongpo out of the room.

Wang Dongpo studied the young girl for a moment. She had turned sixteen this year, and though still slim, she was growing into a young woman. Chunmei greeted him warmly,

"Third Brother! I haven’t been gone long with Her Highness, yet why do you seem even thinner this time? You haven’t been taking care of yourself, have you?"

Wang Dongpo smiled at her.

"With both you and Her Highness gone, my workload has doubled. A’You, you took the opportunity to escape from work and enjoy the capital, eating and drinking to your heart’s content. You returned looking well-fed."

Chunmei laughed brightly, her smile bringing warmth to Wang Dongpo’s usually stoic and cold expression. He affectionately patted her on the head.

"It’s good that you had fun. Now that the young miss is a consort, you must be more mindful and composed, you know?"

Chunmei nodded obediently and began to tell him about their travels and their time at the royal palace. She particularly relished recounting the scandal involving Mu Zhao Yi, who had been behind the rumor that her young miss was actually Mu Rongying. Wang Dongpo listened silently, a faint smile on his handsome face. After a while, Chunmei’s throat grew dry, and she asked him,

"What about you, Third Brother? How have things been here? You haven’t told me anything."

"How could I, when you haven’t stopped to take a breath?"

Chunmei playfully glared at him, causing him to laugh, his face so striking that it left her momentarily mesmerized. Seeing her daze, Wang Dongpo flicked her forehead lightly.

"What’s the matter with you, hmm? Daydreaming while talking to me?"

Snapping out of her trance, Chunmei felt embarrassed and quickly handed him something from her sleeve, changing the subject.

"I bought something for you from the capital. Do you know how lucky you are to have me as a sister?"

Wang Dongpo took the small box from her hand and opened it. He carefully picked a green jade tassel up, touched by the gesture.

"You silly girl! Why waste your money on me? I’m just a humble manager, not some nobleman. There’s no need for such fine jade."

"Well, if you don’t want it, I can always give it to someone else."

Chunmei pouted and pretended to take the jade back. Seeing this, Wang Dongpo quickly reached out to take it, laughing,

"How could I refuse a gift A’You brought all the way from the capital? Thank you. I’ll carry it with me always."

Satisfied, Chunmei smiled as Wang Dongpo fastened the jade tassel at his waist, which made him look more distinguished. She tilted her head, admiring the sight. The two of them were the only family they had left in this world, a comforting thought in their hearts. Inside, Nie Ying was still reviewing the accounts, not yet calling out, so the siblings continued chatting.

"It seems Da Shi might have some good news soon,"

He spoke to the young girl. Chunmei’s eyes widened in surprise. Da Shi was Nie Shuang’s right-hand man, responsible for managing the tea plantation and products. Since they often met, she had grown quite close to him.

“Really? Has Brother Da Shi set his sights on someone? And what about you, Third Brother? Any good news on your side?”

Wang Dongpo’s gaze flickered, and he looked down before replying in a slightly hoarse voice,

“He’s only hinted at it, but hasn’t mentioned anything specific yet. He’s probably waiting to tell the Lady Boss first. As for me, managing the tea house is already overwhelming. Where would I find the time to think about such things?”

After asking, Chunmei regretted her words. She had forgotten that Wang Dongpo had once been a eunuch and could never marry or have a family. Realizing this, she wanted to slap herself for being so thoughtless.

“You’re right. You’ll always have to take care of your little sister. Why would you burden yourself with anything else?”She said, then laughed cheerfully. But inside, she was determined that she would never marry, so she could stay with her brother and keep him company for the rest of her life.